Baltimore Water Rates to Rise 9%: System Leaks 20% of Water Per Day!!! (WBALTV)

Jun.04, 2009 in Water Rates

(June 3, 2009, WBALTV Channel 11)

The Baltimore City Board of Estimates voted Wednesday on a 9 percent increase to water and sewer rates, meaning the average family of four will pay about $72 more per year.

The system leaks 20 percent of its water each day, which is enough to fill the World Trade Center in downtown Baltimore, officials said.Officials estimated that the major water main break that crippled downtown for days in April cost the city nearly $700,000 in repairs and lost productivity.

Baltimore has seen more than 5,000 water main breaks in the last five years, including one on York Road Wednesday morning. They are the reason water prices are going up.

“Certainly, the water main breaks are an indication that this is a chronic issue and we need to start investing more money into our systems,” said state Department of Public Works spokeswoman Keisha Powell.In making their pitch for a 9 percent water and sewer rate increase, DPW officials told the Board of Estimates it will cost $2.2 billion to fix aging infrastructure and meet federal standards.”This is a quality-of-life issue. If we don’t invest the money, then your quality of life will suffer,” Powell said.There was opposition to the rate hike and a no-vote from Controller Joan Pratt, who pointed out that water bills have doubled since 2000 and will double again in 2015.

“So, the family of four that’s paying $900 today will, in eight years, be paying $1,800, so water is going to be more costly than property tax, at the rate we’re going,” she said.

Pratt was overruled by a 4-1 vote.The 9 percent increase will take affect on Thursday.”There was no way around it. We minimized it by keeping it in the single-digit increase versus a double, and we’re going to continue to assess that as we move forward,” said Mayor Sheila Dixon.The rate increase is for the entire system, which includes Baltimore city and Howard, Carroll, Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties.Officials said there are hardship assistance programs for senior citizens and low-income residents who qualify.

(Original Article Here)

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